Come What May
by Flutaphone42
Summary: A prince in need of a wife. A woman who must save her family. A plot to separate them, but nothing can keep them apart. Warning! All characters are OOC! Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello hello hello! Thank you all so much for choosing to read my first fanfic story! The characters belong to Jane Austen but for this story, they are very different from P&P. So if that's not for your liking, sorry and I hope you find what you're looking for! Please remember this is my first time not being the reader so I'll try my best to entertain you all. I'm excited to begin this journey with all of you and can't wait to see where it takes us!

Also bonus points to readers who know what this story title is a reference to!

Don't forget to review!

 **Chapter One**

The best things in life are the things you never expect, such as a chance encounter that will change the course of your life or an act of kindness from a stranger. One of these enjoyable surprises is not, however, what woke Prince Darcy from his slumber. Rather it was a large rock in the road that shook the carriage and threw its sleeping passengers around.

Looking to his cousin, Darcy saw that his dear cousin was more fortunate than he and remained asleep. Richard was more of a brother than a cousin to Darcy, and thus it was predictable when Darcy moved the curtain away from the window and let the bright sunlight ruin the colonel's sleep.

"Agh," hissed Richard when he awoke. As he adjusted himself into a more proper sitting position Richard gave Darcy an accusatory look. "You did that on purpose." Darcy shrugged with smile.

"Perhaps I just wanted to observe the passing scenery. It's quite beautiful out here away from the palace." He said. Richard's glare never left his face.

"What kind of man wakes another man up from his sleep? His glorious, wonderful, much deserved sleep!" He yelled, only causing Darcy to laugh. Richard was right, both men had earned their rest from traveling abroad for the past season. Their journey went well, however their mission was less successful. The task of finding a future queen and wife for the prince had turned out to be more complicated than expected, what with Darcy looking for love instead of more wealth.

"Wake me once we actually reach the palace and not a moment sooner!" Richard yelled and then faces the other side of the carriage. Darcy rolled his eyes at his cousin's remarks and then stared off into the rolling hills of his beloved kingdom of Derbyshire to reflect on the impending trials. It's not that Darcy wanted to find love immediately, but in order for him to be crowned as the rightful King, he must have a queen at his side. He sighed as he remembered the hundreds of princesses and ladies paraded around him during the journey, who looked at Darcy and saw a wealthy prince instead of a man. He just wanted a woman who loved him for him, which was apparently no one in all of Britain!

Trying to distract himself from his failures, Darcy focused on the surroundings. The carriage had finally approach the outskirts of the palace and currently made its way through the marketplace. As he observed the ordinary people, he felt the creeping feeling of envy. Envious of their freedom. Envious of their lack of rules and regulation. Envious of their love for one another. Envious of-

Dacry's mental rant was interrupted by the carriage coming to a sudden halt, rattling both passengers once again. Richard, impressively, remained asleep. Another thing for Darcy to envy, peace. Normal citizens had a least a bit of peace in their lives while Darcy never had a break after the death of his parents when the throne and its responsibilities were thrusted upon him. Some days he would try to recall his life before it and the joy of freedom he felt, but the thought always evaded him.

A loud, feminine laugh stopped Darcy's internal monologue. But not just any laugh, one full of happiness and bliss. Darcy quickly searched the marketplace for its owner and saw her standing near a fruit stand. She was with another girl who would have been considered more of a classical beauty, but the blonde woman was ignored entirely as Darcy became mesmerized by the laughing woman. Her chocolate brown hair was tied with a simple ribbon, an elegant way to showcase her face full of joy. Oh, how he wished to see her up close. He thought that maybe someone who lets the world know her feelings would be able to help with his mess of emotions. As if she could hear his wishes, the girl turned towards the carriage and Darcy squirted to see her eyes, those expressive eyes he longed to see. One look could be enough if he could just be a little closer to-

The carriage shook as it began to move again and the girl was lost from Darcy's sight. He didn't know if he would ever have the pleasure of seeing her again, but he knew with certainty that her laugh would never leave him.

A/N: And I bet you all know who that mystery woman is! Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow people actually read my story! Thanks so much for the positive feedback, it was deeply appreciated. Hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!

Please review!

 **Chapter Two**

"Your Highness? Sir, are you listening? Prince Darcy, your attention please!" yelled an annoyed voice. Darcy jumped a bit from his seat, feeling disappointed about leaving his wonderful day dream about the mysterious woman from the marketplace. The owner of the voice, Royal Advisor Wickham, continued to glare at him but Richard just laughed.

"Poor Darcy! Didn't you get any sleep in the carriage?" He said. This time, it was Darcy who glared at his cousin until the advisor coughed loudly to regain the attention of the young men.

"So sorry Wickham, what were we discussing?" the prince asked hesitantly, and the advisor just sighed.

"We were trying to find a solution for the kingdom's ruler, or more accurately lack of one." He said. If Darcy hadn't known Wickham for his entire life, he would have thought that Wickham was trying to accuse him of something. But Wickham would never do something to harm the Darcy family, not after he saved young princess Georgiana from those horrible men years ago. The prince just shuddered at recalling the trauma that changed the siblings forever and-

"Your highness!" Wickham yelled while snapping his fingers in front of Darcy's face. Richard tried, poorly, to not laugh again.

"I'm sorry, again. Maybe we should table this discussion for a later date. I'm a little distracted by, um," Darcy tried to think of something that sounded less strange than a random woman's laugh, but Wickham sighed loudly before he could.

"I would say so," The advisor left the room, leaving Darcy alone with his cousin.

"Now Wickham may not have been as curious as I, but dear cousin, I will not leave you alone until you tell me what is actually distracting you so much." Richard demanded. "Are you still upset that you haven't met the right woman yet?"

"It's not that, well, maybe it is. But that's not what is clouding my thoughts. Yesterday, in the marketplace, you were sleeping but I heard the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. It was-"

"Ah! So it was about a woman!" Richard said victoriously, as if he had solved a complex riddle.

"Yes, it's about a woman, but a beautiful one."

"Well did you get a good look at her? How did she look from the rear or-" Darcy jumped and held his fist close to Richard's face.

"Don't you dare talk of her like that! She's not some random bar wench you saw with your troops!" The prince yelled, defending the honor and dignity of the mystery woman.

"Darcy, calm down man!" Richard yelled. Darcy softly apologized to his cousin and stepped away from him to stare out the window. "I just wanted to know how a woman laughing in the marketplace was able to capture all your attention."

"It's just that, the laugh enchanted me so much that I could focus on nothing else. The sound of it, words do it no justice, but it's as if that laugh made any worries I had faded away. It was the beautiful whisper of her soul and I felt as if she could save me from these pressures of being a prince, being Georgie's guardian, being anything that wasn't the true nature of my spirit. It touched my heart and I cannot bear to let that feeling she gave me leave me." Darcy confessed. Richard stood silent for a moment, half in shock at his cousin's story and half in thinking of a plan to help the lovesick prince.

"Well, she's sounds amazing." The Colonel says. "She'd have to be in order to turn you into such a poet." He said to lighten the mood of the room. Darcy chuckled at this, but his sight never left the window.

"Somewhere, she's out there. So far, yet it feels as if she's right here." Darcy said, wondering if she knew the impact she had on him from just one sighting.

"But, alas, she is not." Richard says.

"Don't remind me. What's your point, anyways?" Darcy asked, with a hint of curiosity.

"I'm just wondering why we don't bring her here? Why don't you seek out this woman and, I don't know, court her?" Darcy stared at his cousin with shock at the ridiculous plan just proposed.

"I can't go find a woman in the marketplace and drag her to the palace. What if she doesn't reciprocate my feelings? Or even worse, what if she sees the prince coming to court her and she decides to play with my emotions in order to gain power? She wouldn't be the first woman to attempt to do so," Darcy recalled, thinking of the past journey he just returned from.

"Your fears are valid, but what if she didn't know that she was meeting the prince?" Richard quickly explained his idea, and the two cousins plotted in the study, unaware that their entire conversation had been overheard by someone with less than noble intentions.

A/N: What?! A villain?! Of course, no good story is without conflict! Stay tuned for the rest of the adventure and don't forget to review! Please! I love feedback, questions, or predictions!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So sorry for the wait for this chapter. It's finals time, but don't worry I promise you'll get another update MUCH sooner than this one! Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

Don't forget to review!

 **Chapter Three**

The marketplace was filled with buyers, sellers, and fish. Lots of fish, Darcy assumed, for what else could make the streets reek as terribly as they did right now? Even so, the stench of seafood could not take away from his excitement of scheme he was partaking in with cousin at that very moment.

The plan was simple. Richard would sneak Darcy, disguised as a servant, out of the palace under the fake task of buying fruit from the market. However, instead of shopping, Darcy would find the mystery woman, win over her affections, and then convince her to return to the palace with him so he could properly court her and then everything would just be perfect. Or at least, he hoped it would.

Now all he had to was find the woman. Would she still be with that other woman, her sister maybe? Would they even be at the market today? There were too many people for Darcy to see clearly, but maybe if he could get to a higher angle then maybe-

"Watch it!" A vendor yelled at Darcy, who almost knocked over a stack of melons.

"I'm so terribly sorry, I'm just looking-"

"You be lookin' for trouble, that's what you be doing!" The vendor yelled at him. No one had ever yelled at Darcy like that before. "Now go get away from my stand! Get!" Darcy left the angry vendor quickly, muttering more apologies. No one would ever treat Prince Darcy like that, yet servant Darcy was the target of all this criticism. The honesty from others, it felt different. A good different, like-

Another person bumped into Darcy while he thinking, almost causing him to fall to the dirt. He was never going to find the woman from here, he needed a place that oversees all of the marketplace. Glancing around he noticed the perfect perch, an abandoned wagon filled with bales of hay. Darcy shuffled his way through the crowd to get to it, and then climbed to the top of the hay.

Now with a clear view of the market, Darcy could see all of its visitors. He didn't see the mystery woman yet, but he did notice a few men screaming at some palace guards who patrol the market. Even though he was far away, Darcy knew that whatever the arguing would quickly escalate into-

The gunshots echoed through the marketplace and the mass hysteria followed. People were running from the source of the sound while others took as their chance to loot the stands. Darcy knew he needed to get out of there, but before he could exit the wagon, someone pushed it out of their way and knocked Darcy to ground. The fearful people continued to stampede, one stepping on Darcy's ankle and crushing it. He screamed out in pain, holding out his arms to prevent the next foot from stepping on his neck. He did not expect for someone to grab his hand and pull him to his feet.

"Get up, you idiot!" His savior yelled. Darcy could only struggle to stand as the stranger tried to lead him away from the chaos

"My ankle," Darcy said and pointed to the injury. "I think it's broken." The stranger thought for a second, and then put herself under Darcy's arm to support his weight as she dragged him to safety from the stampede in an alleyway.

"We should be safe here for a bit, those forsaken guards will be too occupied with the looters to catch," The stranger said, and then she walked towards a water pail hanging from a window. She scooped some of the water out to wash the dirt from her face while Darcy was trying to process what had just happened.

Darcy was confused, and a bit annoyed at the stranger's attitude towards the people who protect his kingdom. "Why would we have to fear the guards? They're the ones who protect us," The stranger immediately stopped what she was doing.

"Maybe that's what they're supposed to do, but that never the reality. That man who started the riot was fighting about a guard touching his daughter. Now that man is probably dead. Protect us?" The stranger laughed darkly. "The people with power only protect themselves."

The stranger went to the edge of the alleyway to see if the coast was clear, but she was no longer a stranger to Darcy. Her laugh, event though it was cynical, had revealed her identity. The riot must have been caused by divine intervention, for his savior was the angelic woman whose voice had bewitched him.

A/N: The "bewitched" quote in the actual Jane Austen novel is probably one of my favorite lines in all of literature so here's my little shout out to it! Also, I know Darcy's original plan sounds a bit misogynic, but it's supposed to and don't he'll get some shit for it later. It's all just part of the plan. Stay tuned to see what happens next!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So sorry, my dedicated followers! I've been bad at updating on a regular schedule, but finals are over so be prepared for a good chunk of the story to be heading your way soon! Anyways, hope you enjoy this update! It's a good one! (And a bit longer than usual)

Please remember to review! I read each and every comment you guys send my way!

 **Chapter 4**

Fate has a sick sense of humor, or at least that's what Darcy thought as he watched the mysterious woman of his dreams gazed at the streets to find a way from the rioting marketplace. The plan was for him to find her, win over her heart, and then take her back to palace. This perfect and peaceful plan did not account for a riot breaking out or for her having anti-royal sentiments. How was he going to convince her to come live with him, the Prince, at the Palace when Richard arrived? Darcy thought, but then realized that Richard must have heard about the riot in the market by now. Was he going to get Darcy sooner than expected? But that would mean-

The woman snapped her fingers in front of Darcy's face, freeing himself from his negative thoughts. "Are you even listening to me?" She asked, a bit annoyed.

"Yes," He lied, but she narrowed her eyes. They were so beautiful, Darcy told himself. He couldn't lie to those eyes. "No."

She sighed. "It's safe for now, I think. Where is your home?"

"What?" Darcy asked, trying to not reveal the panic in his voice from the possibility of her discovering his true identity.

"Where is your home? Where are you going, or were you planning to live in the marketplace for the rest of your life?" She said with a bit of smirk.

"It's, um, just a bit, uh it's north of the market." Darcy told her, which technically was the truth. He just failed to mention that his home north of the marketplace was the giant palace that housed the royal family. He thought had gotten away with hiding that part of himself, or at least he hoped so.

"North of the market, you say?" She asked. Darcy nodded. "The only thing north of the market is the palace, so why didn't you just say that?" Darcy was shocked silent, half impressed with her deduction skills and half terrified of her discovering the truth. The woman knelt down so that her eyes were level with Darcy's. "Who are you? And don't try to lie to me, it's not polite."

"Okay, yes, I do live in the palace. But that's just because I'm the Prin- no, I'm the servant for the Prince." Darcy hoped she didn't notice his slip and believed his lie without asking too many questions. But as he was learning, this woman was not so easily fooled.

"You're the Prince's man-servant?" She asked, her voice filled with doubt.

"A servant to the Prince, that's what I am." Darcy said, confirming it for her and also himself.

"So what do you do for your master?" The woman asked.

"I usually, wait, he's not my master! Why would-" Darcy stopped his rant as he noticed the woman struggling not to laugh. "Oh, you were only joking. If anything, I'm more like a friend to the Prince."

"Is that so?" She asked with mild interest.

"It is. In fact, you could probably say I know the Prince better than anyone in the kingdom" Darcy said, thinking what she would do if she knew how true that statement was.

"Really? Well than man-servant, I don't think you'll be safe going to back towards that direction for at least a few more hours." The woman told him.

"What? What am I supposed to do for the time being? Sit in this alley for the next few hours?" Darcy said, not attempting to hide his annoyance at the situation. The woman looked at Darcy in a way as if she were trying to see the entirety of his character. Her brown eyes, the most beautiful Darcy had ever seen, stared at him in the hopes of trying to see if she could trust him. Darcy hoped that she would realize he deserves her trust, even if he is lying to her about his true identity.

"Maybe not. For some reason, I rather enjoy talking to you, clueless man-servant. And for that, let me extend an invitation for you to spend the next few hours with me." Her suggestion made Darcy speechless. He did not even need to be the one to suggest they stay together. Was she feeling similar to the way Darcy felt in her presence?

"You'll stay with me in this alley?" He said with excitement. The woman laughed with her melodic voice that made Darcy unable to hide his smile.

"No you silly man-servant, we can go to my home. It's not far from here and it's much more pleasant than an alley." Darcy couldn't believe his ears as the words left her mouth.

"You want me to come to your home? With you? But we just met!" He said.

"Do you want me to change my mind on the subject?" She teased him, or at least that's what Darcy thought she was doing.

"No!" He replied, maybe a little too quickly. It was alright to Darcy, since it resulted in the woman laughing again. He could barely think when she made that sweet, intoxicating laugh. It was the most perfect sound to him.

The woman gestured for Darcy to stand and follow her out of the alley. "Well man-servant, let's get moving before we decide to stay in this alley forever." It was intended as a joke, but Darcy would have been perfectly okay with remaining in the alley if that meant she would be with him forever. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The two walked out of the alley and into the street, glancing around to avoid guard who may be seeking trouble.

"Do you plan on always referring to me as man-servant?" Darcy asked, hoping for their conversation to never end.

"Well yes, I suppose I can only know you as man-servant until you decide to share your name with me." She had asked for his name with such wit that Darcy could not help but be impressed by her intelligence.

"Since you asked so nicely, I must tell you that my name is Da-, uh, Fitz." He quickly stopped himself from saying Darcy. It wasn't his first name, which was Fitzwilliam or shortened to Fitz, but anyone close to him chose to refer to him with his last name, the name of the royal family.

"Your name is Dauhfitz?" The woman asked, a bit confused.

"No, it's just Fitz." He said, and before she could question him about it again, Darcy asked her the same question.

"My name? Oh, it's Elizabeth. Elizabeth Bennet."

A/N: Finally, her name is revealed! I hope it wasn't a surprise to you all, but still, it's a reveal. Once again, yes I'm the worst for taking so long to update. But winter is here so stay tuned for more updates coming soon. I really hope you enjoyed this interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth, it was very fun to write. PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: My dear readers, I feel like we both are coming to the understanding that I'm very bad at having a timely update schedule. To the other writers out there, any tips on how to actually have a consistent writing schedule? Anyways, here's the overdue update!

Please Review!

 **Chapter Five**

It's not a usual event for Elizabeth to bring a visitor other than her trusted friend Charlotte to Longbourn, let alone a strange man she only met a few hours prior. She couldn't even believe that she had invited him to her family's refuge. Did she lose all of her sense for a moment? To think, she was considered by her father to be the most reasonable of her five sisters!

What would her sisters have thought if they could see her now? Jane would have been impressed that Elizabeth had been kind to a stranger, but Mary would have been more practical about the situation and known how dangerous it could be to have someone discover the truth about the Bennets' living arrangement. Lydia and Kitty, the two youngest of the sisters, would have been overwhelmed with romanticizing the whole story of leading a handsome stranger to their hidden home. Elizabeth blushed with embarrassment as she realized what she had described Fitz as in her head and was glad he could not see her face.

The two new acquaintances were now a considerable distance away from the marketplace, with fewer and fewer people being seen on the streets. The pair had been silent for awhile, much to Darcy's dismay and he decided to change that.

"How much further is it to your home?" He asked.

"Longbourn shouldn't be much further! You can see a bit of the roof if you look between those buildings." She stopped and pointed in between two buildings. Darcy couldn't see any roof, but he nodded as if he did in order to avoid frustrating Elizabeth. However, he forgot about her cleverness as she turned around to face him with a doubtful look on her face.

"So man-servant, did you lie to the Prince like that when he tells you something clearly false?" She said with a bit of a smirk and tried not to laugh at the dumbfounded look on Fitz's face.

"But how, wait, what?" Darcy didn't know what to say. No one dared to call out the Prince before, but he wasn't the Prince to Elizabeth. He was just Fitz, the servant. Yet here he was, being confronted and he didn't know how to respond. "Why did you say that if you knew it was a lie?" He asked.

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "I just wanted to know how you would respond. And now I do." She began to start walking again but Darcy gently grabbed her arm before she could.

"But why does it matter?" He asked, still holding her arm and relishing in the fact that he could touch the woman who had enchanted him, knowing this wasn't just a dream.

"It matters because I don't know you. I have no idea why I'm doing this. I'm taking you to my home, where my beloved family lives, and all I know about you is that you're a servant named Fitz!" She explained honestly. "I'm sorry for the outburst, I just needed to test you to maybe figure out what kind of man you are. Does that make any sense?" She stared straight into Darcy's eyes and he could not find any blame for her having concerns.

"Yes, it does." He said and some of Elizabeth's worry fled immediately.

"Thank you for understanding." She said and Fitz smiled dashingly. This was the moment when she decided that Fitz the servant was indeed the most handsome stranger she's ever met. Elizabeth quickly turned around and started walking towards Longbourn before he could see the truth of what she thought of him.

Darcy followed Elizabeth to continue their journey to her home. However, he wished to not spend the rest of their walk in silence. "So did I pass your test?" He asked, genuinely hoping for a yes. She only laughed.

"I believe so," She said and Darcy smiled with pride. "But don't to me again, not even to spare my feelings. Unlike the mighty Prince, I prefer hearing the truth rather than having my pride comforted." Her answer wasn't intended to sound resentful of the monarch, but nevertheless Darcy felt uneasy with her response and his fear grew about what would happen when she learned the truth of his identity.

In an effort to change his thoughts, he decided to inquire about their destination. "Your home has a name? Why is that?" He asked. The question made Elizabeth slow down as she thought about her answer, giving Darcy the opportunity to walk by her side and see her face once again.

"I'm not sure. Maybe I felt that giving the place a name would make it feel like more of a home." She answered, but this made Darcy even more intrigued.

"Why wouldn't it feel like a home already?" His question would have normally made Elizabeth freeze with fear, but she could stop today. Since Fitz would learn the truth eventually, she might as well confess the past of her family's living arrangements.

"Longbourn isn't the house I was raised in. In fact, my family and I have just recently moved into it. We had to give up our old home, the one that had been in the Bennet family for generations." Before Darcy could ask why such a thing needed to be done, she explained. "The business my father inherited could support a small family, but not one with five daughters. Father never blamed us for being the reason he lost the farm that ran through his family for generations, but I always felt guilty. It's as if I were just a burden put on this earth to cause damage." Elizabeth stopped and looked down at her feet in shame, but Darcy turned her to face him.

"No it's not, Elizabeth, look at me." She did as he asked. "This is something no one can be blamed for, not even you. There is no need for you to feel guilty, and I bet your father would choose this life of having five daughters than maintaining the family business." Darcy told her.

"Do you really think so?" She asked, not entirely convinced by his speech.

"Yes I do. I truly believe that happiness is more important than any family business. Trust me." Darcy said with empathy, knowing this truth due to complications with royalty. Elizabeth, who did not know this, simply was filled with gratitude for this stranger. He gave her comfort for her situation instead of pity, and revealed a bit more of his true character.

"Thank you Fitz, again." Elizabeth said with the smile returning to her face.

"So shall we continue to Longbourn?" He asked, but Elizabeth shook her head.

"There's no need. We're already here." She gestured towards the old brick building in front of them. There was nothing extremely remarkable about the building, Darcy noticed, except for the large poster nailed to door reading _"This property must remain vacated by order of His Royal Highness, Prince Fitzwilliam Darcy."_

A/N: What did you think? Sorry for making their short trip take forever, but I wanted them to bond a bit and form some trust, ya feel? I tried to mix it up a bit and give you guys a bit from Elizabeth's viewpoint, so let me know if you liked that and/or want some more of that. Maybe I think that giving you guys a longer chapter makes up for my irregular updates? Maybe? Can I write my way for your forgiveness? Oh well, here's to hoping the next update happens on time!

Don't forget to leave some comments!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Guys I really tried to have this chapter up before the new year but alas here we are. Anyways, thank you to people who have taken the time to comment on my story, it means a lot! Also, I've never heard of Cinderella Monogatari, but from what the Wikipedia description said about it, it does sound a bit similar to what I have planned but there will be some major differences. (Shout out to CelticKorrigan for pointing that out!) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

 **Chapter Six**

Darcy just stared at the poster, filled with shock and confusion. Was it by his decree that Elizabeth's family was going to be kicked out of their home? Were they going to be okay? Can he do anything to change it? How many other houses were being evicted? Why was this happening?

It was as if Elizabeth could sense all the questions spilling from his thoughts. "Don't worry about the sign, it's been up there for almost two years now." She assured him.

"Two years?" Darcy, again, was still confused. "But then how are you still living here?"

"No one has forced us to leave so we haven't left. Why should we? It's our family home." She shrugged. "It's funny. The Palace wants to claim everything but don't care enough to actually get it. It's like this thing I read about. I believe it's called irony." It is becoming blatantly clear in this point in their acquaintance that Elizabeth has a gift of being able to outwit Darcy in every conversation.

Turning their attention back towards the building, Darcy followed Elizabeth until she stopped just before the door. "Just so we are on the same page, it's probably for the best if my family didn't know you were here." She told him. "Is that okay? It's just I don't usually bring strange men I met hours ago, so I'm not sure they would approve. I don't know, I just-" Darcy cut her off before Elizabeth could finish her rant of worries.

"No, those are completely rational reasons." Darcy said, which was followed by Elizabeth letting go of the breath she didn't know she was holding. "How do you suppose then to smuggle me in then?" He asked. Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, looking from Darcy to the door and back again, until she noticed a conveniently placed window just above the door. Following her eyes, Darcy saw the window and immediately disagreed with her idea.

"What if we-" Elizabeth started to say but she was interrupted by a certain Prince who had a fear of heights.

"That window is not an option. No, just no." He stated. "I understand that this is your home and I am just a temporary guest, but I will not be climbing in through that window. No." Elizabeth stared at him for a moment, before bursting into laughter. Even though this was the sound that had enticed Darcy so much, it now was used against him making him a bit embarrassed.

"Oh you thought," She looked up at the window and laughed again, even louder this time. "Did you think I was going to suggest you go up there?"

"Well, I mean, you were looking up there so I was, I mean I was assuming…" He trailed off, not being able to find a good enough excuse. His inability to find one, however, only made Elizabeth more entertained.

"Oh no, Fitz, I wouldn't ask you to do that. I was thinking that I could go in first and then signal you from the window letting you know to come in." She explained. Elizabeth went to the door, but decided to add one more taunt before she opened it. "Besides, there's no way you could even get up there."

"Wait, no!" Darcy ran out of time to reverse her statement as Elizabeth walked into the building, closing the door behind her. "I could climb through that window if I wanted to." He told himself. Whether or not she meant to do it, Elizabeth had issued a challenge and Darcy had never been one to back down.

Taking a few steps back in preparation, Darcy observed some of the uneven bricks that could be used as foot holes. Glancing down the alley to make sure no one was watching, Darcy ran towards the building, leapt into the air, and grabbed the uneven bricks. Carefully, he reached for the window sill and pulled himself up to it. He just hung there as he calmly waited for Elizabeth to open the window. It was as if his acrophobia had vanished entirely, all because of his desire to be with Elizabeth.

When she opened the window, Elizabeth couldn't see Darcy and for a moment felt disappointed that he left her. That was, until she looked down to see him hanging from the window sill. "Fitz!" She yelled. "What are you doing?"

"At the moment? Waiting for you to help me get into your home." He said with a hint of sarcasm. Elizabeth just gave him an annoyed look.

"You should have just waited for me to let you in. There's no one else here." She said. Darcy felt a bit embarrassed, but he just brushed off the feeling.

"Well I'm here now. Won't you help me in?" Darcy asked. Elizabeth just rolled her eyes and reached her hand out to Darcy. She helped pull him inside, however, both of them did not think it through as once Darcy was through the window, he fell on top of Elizabeth. Even though all he wanted was to be near her, Darcy only could keep apologizing as he helped her back to her feet.

"Fitz, it's fine, really it is." She assured him. "However, if you had just waited for me to get you, you wouldn't have fallen on me." She laughed a bit to lighten the mood.

"Sorry, I was just trying to be discreet, so your family wouldn't see me." He tried to explain but Elizabeth just shook her head.

"How could they see you if they aren't here?" She said. Darcy was going to reply, but as he noticed something at the end of the hall his eyes grew wide with fear.

He gulped. "Are you sure you checked everywhere?" He asked, staring at something Elizabeth couldn't see as her back was facing it. She had been positive she searched the house. However, the fear in Fitz's eyes were making her second guess herself.

"Surprisingly, she failed to look in the library of all places." Said a voice at the end of the hall. Elizabeth quickly turned around and gasped at what she saw.

A/N: Bam! A cliff hanger! Who is it? I don't know! JK I do because I'm writing this. Anyways, I'm super sorry for the late update, but you won't have to wait long for the next one! Don't forget to review!


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